diff --git a/asm/instruction.go b/asm/instruction.go
index ae96d622f..67cd39d6f 100644
--- a/asm/instruction.go
+++ b/asm/instruction.go
@@ -159,8 +159,13 @@ func (ins Instruction) Marshal(w io.Writer, bo binary.ByteOrder) (uint64, error)
 		ins.Offset = newOffset
 	}
 
+	op, err := ins.OpCode.bpfOpCode()
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
 	data := make([]byte, InstructionSize)
-	data[0] = byte(ins.OpCode)
+	data[0] = op
 	data[1] = byte(regs)
 	bo.PutUint16(data[2:4], uint16(ins.Offset))
 	bo.PutUint32(data[4:8], uint32(cons))
diff --git a/asm/opcode.go b/asm/opcode.go
index bbda2107f..1dfd0b171 100644
--- a/asm/opcode.go
+++ b/asm/opcode.go
@@ -93,6 +93,17 @@ type OpCode uint16
 // InvalidOpCode is returned by setters on OpCode
 const InvalidOpCode OpCode = 0xffff
 
+// bpfOpCode returns the actual BPF opcode.
+func (op OpCode) bpfOpCode() (byte, error) {
+	const opCodeMask = 0xff
+
+	if !valid(op, opCodeMask) {
+		return 0, fmt.Errorf("invalid opcode %x", op)
+	}
+
+	return byte(op & opCodeMask), nil
+}
+
 // rawInstructions returns the number of BPF instructions required
 // to encode this opcode.
 func (op OpCode) rawInstructions() int {